


Face to Face

by bygoshbygolly



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Creatures & Monsters, Gen, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-25
Updated: 2016-10-25
Packaged: 2018-08-24 13:26:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8373886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bygoshbygolly/pseuds/bygoshbygolly
Summary: Noya is surprised to see so many humans trying out for the volleyball team. Sports are usually dominated by monsters, after all.Then he sees Tanaka.





	

Noya was surprised to find that he wasn’t the only human trying out for the volleyball team. He was used to competing with and against monsters in middle school, and having to push himself to keep up with their often-extrahuman strength and speed. But he could see there were a number of other humans from his year, awkwardly standing around and glancing at the older boys. 

The main team, too, seemed to be mostly humans. Noya could see a tall, hairy boy who looked vaguely Yeti-like, and a third-year with horns, but everyone else appeared human, just like him. Surprising, especially considering the number of monsters at the school, and in sports in general, but nice. Being short in a sport that prized height was bad enough, but being short and the only human might mean the team not taking him seriously. And he was very serious about volleyball.

Bouncing on the balls of his feet, he looked around the gym and saw a boy stretching on the floor. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, which was a little weird, but whatever. It let Noya assess his broad shoulders and back, the muscles in his arms. He came to a conclusion and went up to the boy.

“I bet you’re a wing spiker,” he said confidently. The boy sat up.

“Yeah,” he replied, sounding surprised. “How’d you know?” Noya stared for a moment in revelation, the reason for the boy’s shirtlessness suddenly apparent. Grey eyes looked up at him from the boy’s chest, and the reply had come from the sharp-toothed mouth under his ribs. Noya recovered quickly, though—he’d been raised not to stare, and this guy wasn’t even the weirdest monster he’d seen. Just the most headless.

“You’ve got the build for it,” Noya shrugged and grinned. He jabbed a thumb at himself. “I’m Nishinoya Yuu. Libero.”

“Tanaka Ryuunosuke,” the boy stood and grinned. Noya noticed with pleasure that, despite Tanaka being technically taller than him, he had to look down to meet Tanaka’s eyes. It wasn’t often that happened. “You’re a libero? That’s awesome! I bet you’re really good.”

“I’m the best,” Noya boasted. Tanaka laughed, but not in a mean way; like he agreed.

Noya decided then and there that the two of them were going to make the team and go to Nationals together.

\---

They both made the cut; not that Noya had any doubts on his part. Tanaka turned out to be fast, and a powerful spiker, but his receives needed work.

“They cut off my peripheral vision,” he explained to Noya, after. “But I need to get better because I don’t want to let the team down.” Noya nodded.

“I can help you. _My_ receives are awesome.” Tanaka’s face (and it might be strange, how quickly Noya had adjusted to thinking of a chest as a face, but it was also polite, and true) lit up.

“Thanks!”

\---

In practically no time at all, Noya felt like he and Ryuu had been friends forever. It had been a little weird meeting Saeko at first, what with whole ‘needing to look at her breasts to look her in the eye’ thing, but he got over it quickly enough. It really wasn’t any weirder than remembering to only look at a shopkeeper in the mirror or any of the other things required to live comfortably with monsters. Anyway, he had to look at Ryuu’s chest, too, so it wasn’t exactly new, and Saeko was basically the coolest person Noya had ever met. It wasn’t long before he’d do pretty much anything for the Tanakas.

He and Ryuu played video games and talked about volleyball and daydreamed about Kiyoko together (“I’m pretty sure she’s an angel,” Ryuu said dreamily. “A _for real_ angel.” Noya couldn’t disagree). Noya hadn’t lacked for friends in middle school—he was an outgoing guy, and he always got on well with his teammates, but his friendship with Ryuu was on a whole new level. Sometimes he got annoyed thinking about how it had taken them this long to meet.

\---

A few weeks after try-outs, Kiyoko asked to speak to Ryuu after practice. He turned bright red, a full body blush, as Noya hooted and loudly exclaimed his jealousy. Kiyoko rolled her eyes.

“Tanaka-kun,” she said, looking down at her notebook. 

“Yeah?” he managed to reply, and made a note to tell Noya that his voice hadn’t cracked while doing so.

“I have a question about the team jerseys. Obviously you can’t wear one that covers your face. I was wondering if you could think of any alternatives?” Ryuu scratched his shoulder in embarrassment.

“Oh. Um.” He trailed off. Kiyoko waited a moment before realizing that nothing further was coming.

“I was thinking a vest? It would have the number on the back, but wouldn’t obscure your eyes.”

“Ah. Good idea, Kiyoko-san!” Ryuu enthused. He bit his lip and thought for a moment. “The sides might still flap into my eyes, though. What about a cape! Or body paint!”

“Why don’t I cut a jersey under the arms instead?” Kiyoko suggested. “If I remove the fabric in front, would that work?”

“Oh. Yes!” Ryuu was turning red again at the thought of wearing a jersey that Kiyoko had sewn, even a little, with her own hands.

“Thank you,” said Kiyoko, and left. Ryuu stared after her blindly.

“Ryuu!” Noya threw himself onto his back, climbing up to lean over Ryuu’s shoulders and look him in the eye. Ryuu absently grabbed Noya’s legs to steady him. “Ryuu! What did she say? You’re so lucky! Kiyoko-san spoke to you!”  
“She wanted to know about jerseys,” Ryuu replied, sounding stunned. He flicked his eyes up to meet Noya’s. “Kiyoko-san is going to make me a jersey.” Noya screeched with joy, and Ryuu laughed, shifting his grip to Noya’s waist and lifting him into the air in triumph.

The rest of the team rolled their eyes and yelled at them to help finish cleaning the gym.

\---

The problem with Ryuu’s face also being his torso, Noya reflected, was that it smashed his best features together, so that no matter where you looked, there was something irritatingly attractive. There were his bright eyes set in a firm chest. His sharp, smiling mouth right above his abs. His arms, just generally hanging around existing. Sure, you could look down at his shoes, but then you were confronted with his calves, and also, Ryuu would wonder why you weren’t looking him in the eye. Also, Ryuu literally never wore a shirt, so there was no chance to escape from all his skin and his smiles and his muscles.

Noya groaned. This hadn’t used to be a problem. He used to be able to look at Ryuu all day, no worries. But something had changed. He wasn’t sure when it happened, when he started noticing how Ryuu’s body curved as he went for a spike, a tighter arc than most players to compensate for his eyes being lower, or the way Ryuu’s muscles would move as he talked. It had just sort of happened, and now Noya found himself wondering what it would be like to kiss Ryuu—and how that would even work. They could probably manage it. They were both pretty good at adapting. And he definitely wouldn’t mind kissing Ryuu’s chest or if Ryuu wanted to kiss his stomach. That would be pretty great, actually.  
On top of his best friend’s constant muscular shirtlessness and sharp eyes and loud mouth was all the touching. Noya wondered if he should tone it down sometimes, stop grabbing his arm and flinging himself onto Ryuu’s back and draping himself over his shoulders like he belonged there. But he didn’t want to, and besides, Ryuu initiated the touching just as often, squeezing him tight against his side and lifting him into the air like it was nothing. 

Normally, Noya would just tell someone he liked them and see how things went, but this was different. It was Ryuu, and if something went wrong he didn’t know what he’d do. Explode, maybe. And maybe if he just kept up all the touching and the loud compliments Ryuu would understand that he liked him without actually having to say anything? He didn’t _think_ he was being subtle. He didn’t really _do_ subtle.

\---

“You’re not being subtle at all, Yuu,” Saeko told him. She’d slipped into Ryuu’s room while he was getting snacks. “But here’s the thing—Ryuu is really dense about shit like this. He’s doesn’t know what people flirting with him looks like. Hasn’t exactly had much experience there.”

“That’s stupid,” Noya replied. “He’s so cool! And hot! And I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he added. Saeko laughed.

“Sure. Just think about it, ok?” She slipped back out. “And let me know when you want your hair retouched!” A moment later, Ryuu came back, bags of chips under his arms and a glass of water in each hand.

“Talking with Saeko?” he asked. Noya took the chips from him, trying very hard not to think about how warm Ryuu was as he grazed his fingers against his sides. 

“Yeah.” He coughed. “She was just offering me some romantic advice.” Ryuu grinned.

“Oh? You got your eye on someone, Noya?” He paused, and then gasped. “Are you going to ask out Kiyoko-san?” He looked wondering and impressed at the very idea of asking her out, and for a second Noya almost wished he was going to ask Kiyoko out, just so Ryuu would look at him like that again.

“No,” Noya laughed. “There’s someone else who I think I like. I don’t know if I should say anything though. I don’t know if they’d like me back.” Tanaka made a noise of outrage and turned to look at him.

“Why wouldn’t someone like you?” he asked. “You’re so awesome! And good-looking!” It was so close to what Noya had said earlier about him that he snorted. “What?”

“Nothing,” Noya smiled. “You’re right, though. I am super cool.” Ryuu laughed and shoved him lightly. Noya took a gulp of water, trying to hide his smile and the fact that he was pretty sure he was blushing.

\---

Noya had fallen asleep on Ryuu’s shoulder often enough for it not to be weird, but waking up to Ryuu’s arm around him, snuggled in to his side, this was new. Good new. Warm and a little sweaty and kinda musky new. He glanced to the side to see Ryuu was still sleeping, his mouth half open. Noya smiled softly, his heart swelling. He reached up a hand to gently touch Ryuu’s where it was hanging over his chest. Then he shut his eyes and cuddled back in, determined to get the most out of this unexpected cuddle session. 

He was asleep again in under five minutes.

\---

It was almost anti-climactic when it finally happened. Noya had been so busy building his thing for Ryuu into something difficult, something that had to be carefully navigated; he’d forgotten that things had always been easy for them.   
They were walking home when Ryuu slipped his hand into Noya’s without a word. Noya glanced at him, curious, and saw that Ryuu was flushed pink, eyes fixed firmly ahead. He squeezed Ryuu’s hand tightly, a smile spreading over his face. Maybe this was where he exploded. 

Neither of them spoke, their thoughts a fizzy jumble.

After a minute, Noya’s brain caught up with him.

“Wait a second!” he stopped still. Looked at their hands. Looked at Ryuu, who was staring at him now with wide, startled eyes. He pointed his free hand at him. “You’re holding my hand!”

Ryuu let go immediately, and Noya grabbed at his hand again.

“Ryuu! This is great! Agh, I’ve been trying for ages to tell you I like you, and then you just hold my hand? That’s so cool!”

“Yeah?” Ryuu’s eyes were bright and his smile was a little wobbly, as if he was happy but wasn’t completely certain this wasn’t a joke or a dream. “I didn’t know what to say, so I just…”

“ _So_ cool, Ryuu.” Noya leaned in, giddy, and pressed his forehead to Ryuu’s chest, looking down into his eyes. “This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“Better than making the team?” Ryuu asked. Noya hesitated, and then saw the smirk on Ryuu’s face.

“Well, second best thing then,” he amended, poking Ryuu in the side. Ryuu laughed, and Noya joined in, the two of them young and happy and in love.

**Author's Note:**

> Hoo boy was this self-indulgent  
> Fun facts:  
> \- I made Tanaka a blemmyae a) because I think they're cool, and b) because he's always ripping his shirt off  
> \- Asahi is a Bigfoot, not a yeti. Tall, hairy, timid.  
> -Kageyama is a goblin, obviously


End file.
